A Soldier Finds His Way Read online

  On the couch, Mike sat close to Vanessa and caressed the hand she’d laid on the thigh of his faded jeans. “I don’t get it. You found your way to our house okay. So, why would you need a GPS to find your way home?”

  “This was my first solo trip out here since you guys moved. Dad drove the first time, and I didn’t pay attention to the roads. He wrote the directions for me but left out several turns and even gave a wrong exit number. Guess he assumed I’d fill in the blanks. Lucky I didn’t end up in Timbuktu, wherever that is.”

  Vanessa smiled. “I think what my sister is trying to say is she has a terrible sense of direction.”

  “Must run in the family.” Mike jerked his elbow back to protect his ribs. “Only kidding, babe.”

  Audra laughed. “By the way, where in the world is Timbuktu?”

  “Not in New York, that’s for sure,” Vanessa said. “You better hope none of your students ask where it is, or how to say it in Spanish.”

  “I can see it now.” Audra pantomimed headlines in the air. “First year Spanish teacher fired for incompetency.”

  Mike stood and smiled at Audra. “I’m going to bed. I’ll check on Zoe on the way. She’s excited about going home with you tomorrow. It’s all she’s talked about for the past week. I bet she doesn’t get much sleep tonight.” He leaned over and gave Vanessa a kiss before leaving the room.

  Audra joined Vanessa on the couch. They sat at opposite ends facing one another with a blanket over their legs. Vanessa nudged Audra with her foot. “So tell me, how’s it going in the boyfriend department? Any new prospects since you broke up with Brad?”

  She hated to admit it, but she hadn’t had so much as a nibble from the ever-shrinking pool of available men in quite a while.

  “No, but after flying solo for three months, I’ve come up with a vision of the kind of man I’m looking for and what I want out of a relationship.”

  “Oh?” Vanessa’s left eyebrow rose into an arch.

  “I want someone strong, courageous, intelligent, and oozing with manly confidence. Maybe I’m setting the bar too high, but I’d also like him to be handsome and nicely put together.”

  “Why settle for anything less than a hot guy?” Vanessa laughed. “What else is on your wish list?”

  “This might sound corny, but I want a man who’ll look at me the same way Mike looks at you. His eyes are filled with adoration that confirms his complete and unshakable devotion to you. If someone broke into this house, he would fight to the death to defend you and Zoe.”

  Vanessa’s eyes misted. She snatched a tissue from a box on the end table and dabbed a tear from her cheek. “You’re right, he does look at me like that. Sometimes it takes my breath away.”

  “If I could find a man who would adore me like that, and be willing to risk everything for me, I’d give him my whole heart without hesitation or reservation.” She sniffled. “Give me one of those tissues, would you, please?”

  Vanessa flapped her hands and fanned her eyes. “We better change the subject or we’ll both be crying.”

  “Good idea.”

  “So, tell me.” Vanessa’s shoulders lifted with a deep breath and dropped with a brisk exhalation. “Is Dad still nursing a hope that you and Brad will get back together?”

  “Nursing a hope might be the understatement of the year.” Audra rolled her eyes. “Despite my assurances to the contrary, he seems to believe Brad and I are secretly pining away for one another. Nothing I say seems to persuade him to think otherwise.”

  “That’s Dad for you.” Vanessa laughed. “Once he gets his mind set on something, it’s unlikely to change.”

  “Brad and I parted ways quite amicably. We both agreed that, having been friends since fifth grade, we were too much like brother and sister to have a romantic relationship.”

  “I’m glad you’re still friends. After all, Brad’s practically family.”

  Brad would make someone a good boyfriend or husband one day. But she wasn’t that someone. He was too straight-laced, too suit-and-tie, and way too serious all the time.

  “What kind of stuff did you and Mike do when you were dating?”

  A nostalgic smile spread across Vanessa’s face as she twirled an auburn curl around her finger. “Mike took me to my first hockey game. We cheered for his team, danced the Macarena and ate some really bad hot dogs. I’ve been hooked on hockey ever since. Go, Rangers!” She pumped her fist and laughed.

  “Tell me more.”

  “Another time, when it was pouring down rain, Mike said, ‘Let’s go puddling.’ I had no idea what that meant, but we headed outside into a torrential downpour and ran through every puddle we could find, flailing our arms, stomping our feet, and screaming like kids.”

  “That sounds like such fun.”

  “It was. We collided and fell to the ground where he gave me the most awesome, toe-curling, heart-thumping kiss ever. We were soaking wet and altogether muddy, but I’ll never forget those spontaneous moments.” Vanessa smiled and let out a moan of contentment.

  Mike had been a good catch. Faithful to his job, yet fun-loving, spontaneous, and devoted to his family, he knew how to balance work and play. Finding another even-keeled guy like him seemed impossible. Too bad Mike didn’t have a brother.

  Audra slumped farther down into the couch. “Brad would never jump in puddles or do the Macarena. In fact, I can’t imagine Brad ever doing anything that would get him dirty or sweaty. And, as far as kisses, he didn’t believe in public displays of affection. Always said that total privacy led to total intimacy. I’m not saying I wanted to throw all conviction to the wind, but there’s got to be a balance, don’t you think?”

  Vanessa shot her a wide-eyed look riddled with disbelief. “You mean to tell me that you guys never kissed?”

  “A peck here and there. Nothing of the toe-curling, heart-thumping variety.” Audra sighed. “Our relationship lacked passion.”

  A yawn seemed to take Vanessa by surprise. She looked at the clock on the bookcase. “Almost midnight. I can’t seem to keep my eyes open.

  Audra got up, offered a hand, and yanked Vanessa off the couch. “We’ll watch the ball drop next year.”

  * * * *

  In the morning, Audra watched the weather before she headed into the kitchen.

  The legs of the wooden kitchen stool squealed against the tile floor as she pulled it out from under the bar. Vanessa slid a cup of coffee in front of her, exactly the way she liked it, extra light with no sugar. “Thanks.” She sat and took a sip.

  “What’s the weather look like?” Vanessa whisked eggs in a bowl.

  “One channel said a severe snowstorm would pass well to the north of us. A different channel predicted spotty bands of heavy snow. Both reported the major highways were presently clear and plows were ready.”

  Mike came into the kitchen, chugged a cup of coffee, and looked at her with sleepy eyes. “What time are you and Zoe leaving?”

  “Nine or so. In about an hour.”

  Zoe dropped her little red suitcase by the door and paced with her life-like baby doll hugged to her chest. “Why can’t we go now, Aunt Audra?”

  Audra stood, put her hands on her hips and pretended to be irritated. “You’re awfully bossy for an almost-eight-year-old. Can I at least change out of my pajamas and wash my face?”

  Zoe wrinkled her nose.

  Audra laughed and gave Zoe’s curls a playful toss. “Okay, I’ll go change.”

  * * * *

  Audra stood at the living room window and pushed the curtain to the side.

  Mike loaded her and Zoe’s things into the trunk of her car and trotted back to the house. Bitter-cold air burst through the door with him. “Your stuff’s packed, and I started the engine and turned the heater on full blast.” He blew into his hands and rubbed them together. “It’s cold out there.”

  Vanessa pulled Zoe to her. “Have a good time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We’ll come
get you in a couple of days. I’ll miss you.”

  Snow fell soft and silent through still air as Mike strapped Zoe into the passenger side backseat, then opened Audra’s door. She got in and lowered the window. “Bye, Mike. Love you.”

  “Love you too. Drive carefully. Call us when you get to your house.” He winked at Zoe in the back seat. “Bye, Princess.”

  “Bye, Daddy.”

  Vanessa blew a kiss and waved from the living room window.

  Audra put the car in reverse, backed out of the driveway, and drove toward the highway. At an intersection bearing a Right Turn Only, the GPS voice told her to make a left. She continued on the route she’d committed to memory. Three intersections later, the same thing happened again.

  “That’s strange.”

  “What’s strange, Aunt Audra?” Zoe looked back at her in the rearview mirror.

  “It’s nothing, sweetie. I’m trying to get used to my new GPS, that’s all.”

  On the main road, the GPS finally settled down. The snow came down a little heavier, and Audra turned the windshield wipers up a notch. The GPS lost its signal a few times, and after about forty minutes, directed her to exit the highway.

  At first, the new road seemed somewhat better than the main road. Cars weren’t whizzing by at high speeds anymore. But, where were the snowplows? Howling wind gusted against the car. She slowed to a crawl and, without taking her eyes off the road, reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone. No signal.

  She followed a pickup truck’s tracks for several miles until it turned onto a side road. Without it in front of her paving the way, the going got tougher. The road on the hilly terrain was getting slippery, and she hadn’t seen any houses or businesses in a while.

  “I can’t see anything outside my window anymore, Aunt Audra.” Zoe rubbed the glass and chewed her lip. Her wide-eyed gaze locked onto Audra in the rearview mirror.

  “Let’s sing a song, shall we? How about, ‘The Song That Never Ends?’ You start, and I’ll join in.”

  Zoe hugged her doll and sang without much enthusiasm.

  “Smile, sweetie. Everything’s okay.” Audra joined in with the happiest voice she could muster.

  The GPS directed Audra to stay right at the fork up ahead. She took the fork. Fallen Rock Zone and Dangerous Curve Ahead signs shouted their warnings at her. But there was nowhere to make a U-turn. The narrow road hugged a giant rock wall to her left, and the absence of a shoulder made turning around impossible and left little margin for error. On the other side of the guardrail snow fell into an empty expanse. She gripped the steering wheel tighter.

  She had no choice but to continue on the serpentine road where wind gusts shook the car, pummeling it with blasts of snow. With nothing to break the wind on her right side, she was fully exposed to the intensity of the storm.

  With the windshield wipers on high speed and caked with ice, she struggled to see the road ahead.

  The road curved sharply to the left. Audra hugged the steering wheel and peered forward to see around the bend. Directly in front of her, a mountain of rocks and snow blocked her path. She slammed on the brakes.

  Zoe shrieked.

  The car fishtailed on the icy surface and flew forward. A series of terrifying jolts rattled Audra’s teeth. The awful sound of crunching metal filled her ears. And then her own screams, as her car went airborne.

  Chapter 3

  “Rise and shine, flea-bitten varmint. Happy New Year.” Edward delivered a gentle slap to the sleeping dog’s rump. She jumped up, trotted to the door and cast an over-the-shoulder look at him as if to ask if he’d mind letting her out.

  He pulled the door halfway open. A thigh-high drift stood in a straight line where it had been pressed against the door. Wind whipped a few inches off the top, sending a powdery puff inside. Cricket backed up and took a running leap over the mound and disappeared to do her business. There were no signs of the storm letting up. He shut the door.

  Edward bundled up, went outside and cleared the drifts from the windows and the door. Cricket pranced in the snow and jumped gazelle-like over rolling mounds of white. The wind bit his face. “I don’t think we’re in Costa Rica anymore, Toto.” Edward went back inside and dried her off with a tattered towel. When he finished she curled up by the fire.

  Edward found a stick near the fireplace and whittled the bark off with his pocketknife. Wind rattled the windows, waking the napping dog with a start. “Relax, it’s just the wind.”

  Cricket lowered her head back to the floor. Before long, she was fast asleep again with her legs twitching as if she were running.

  “Chase those rabbits, girl.”

  The snowshoes he’d made last winter hung on a nail by the door. He pulled one off the wall and tested its strength and flexibility with a few twists. He’d been successful walking in the snow with them last year, although there wasn’t nearly the amount of snow then as now. He’d try them out later.

  Cricket woke up with a growl, bolted upright, and looked around with nervous apprehension.

  “What is it, girl?”

  Cracking and rumbling sounds echoed outside the cabin. Limbs breaking, trees falling, or an avalanche in the distance? He couldn’t tell.

  Cricket yipped and pawed at the door. Her whines took on an urgency Edward couldn’t ignore.

  He threw on his coat and hat and grabbed the snowshoes.

  As he opened the door, the dog bolted out, went a few yards and stopped. Her ears twitched and her head turned side to side as if to determine which way she should go. She looked back at him.

  “It’s your call. You heard it better than I did.”

  Trees cracked and moaned in the distance. Cricket bounded over snowdrifts and took off down the hill toward the river, barking and begging him to hurry. He followed the path she’d cut through the snow.

  A sense of foreboding churned inside Edward as he neared the river. On the far side, a nearly vertical slope of trees and rocks ascended from the water. A seldom-traveled, snake-like road wound its way on top of the steep embankment, and a length of broken guardrail hung out over the precipice.

  Bent trees, broken branches, and swept-away snow in a path down to the water gave evidence that something had rolled down the incline into the river. The crashing and crunching of falling rocks tapered off as he approached.

  “No. No, it can’t be. Please just let it be a rockslide.” He quickened his pace and came to the river’s edge. A blue Toyota lay on its right side in the river halfway through the ice, slowly sinking.

  Cricket paused at the frozen riverbank, barking wildly, afraid to step out onto the ice.

  Edward had to hurry. He pulled off his snowshoes and walked onto the ice. The river narrowed at this point, and the car wasn’t far off. Still, the ice could give way at any moment.

  He drew close to the partially submerged car, brushed snow and debris from the driver’s window and peered inside. A young woman hung motionless over the steering wheel. Blood trickled down her forehead. In the backseat, trapped by her seatbelt, a little girl strained to keep her head above water, her eyes wide with fright. He had to get her out of there, and fast.

  He opened the rear door. “Hang on, kid. I’m gonna get you out of there.”

  Edward took out his knife, gripped it in his teeth, and dropped a knee on the doorframe. His added weight on the car caused the girl’s nose to bob under the water. He reached in, cut the seatbelt and yanked the child out of her seat. She came up out of the water choking and gasping for breath and clung to him. Edward carried her to the bank, put her down, and started back to the car for the woman.

  With a loud crack, the ice opened farther, swallowing more of the car. He threw open the driver’s door. The car started sinking faster. He cut the woman’s seatbelt and grabbed her arm. With one final lurch, the vehicle slipped into the water and sucked him under. His fingers dug tighter into the woman’s flesh. Frigid water stung his skin. His muscles cra
mped.

  Edward struggled and managed to break the surface with the limp woman. He stumbled and slipped, but found his footing on the rocks and climbed out of the water, dragging the woman behind him.

  The child sat on the bank screaming. A good sign. She couldn’t be too badly injured with a set of lungs like that.

  The woman wasn’t breathing. He felt for a pulse on her neck. Nothing. Her eyes were fully dilated and fixed in a deathly gaze, despite the brightness of the falling snow. He placed her flat, tilted her head back slightly, breathed two breaths into her then began chest compressions.

  “You’re hurting her! You’re hurting her! Stop it!” The girl’s screechy screams grated his nerves.

  Edward didn’t have time to reassure the kid. Not now, when he was soaking to the bone and freezing half to death. He had to resuscitate this woman and get all of them into the warmth of the cabin.

  Cricket whimpered as if she was worried too.

  Finally, the woman let out a weak moan and a cough.

  Good. We have a pulse. Fire, we need fire.

  Edward forced his snowshoes back on with stiff fingers and heaved the woman over his shoulder.

  “Come on, kid.”

  The girl continued her loud, piercing cries.

  He yanked her onto her feet. “I don’t have time for your screeching and carrying on. Your mom’s gonna die if we don’t get her warmed up. You’re gonna die too. You wanna die?”

  She shook her head vigorously. “No.”

  He grabbed her hand and started up the hill toward the cabin, but she kept sinking in the snow. Except for a pair of socks, the kid was barefoot. He scooped her up under his arm and carried her as she yelled her head off.

  Serious muscle fatigue was setting in by the time he got to the cabin and kicked the door open. Exhausted, he dropped the kid, went to the fireplace, and tried to lower the woman gently onto the floor. She hit the floor a little harder than he intended, but his limbs were numb with cold, and it was a struggle to move.

  Before he could take care of them, he had to take care of himself. He began peeling his wet and stiffening clothing off and stood by the fire to warm himself. He was down to his underwear when the kid started crying again.